Ruling on Delaying the Midday Prayer Until the Afternoon Prayer Due to Studies

Question:
A message was received by the program from the listener: Abdulrahman Muhammad Abbas. He says: I am a university student, and sometimes I miss the midday prayer, including the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Is it permissible for me to perform the midday prayer together with the afternoon prayer without the Sunnah, or should I pray the midday prayer with its Sunnah together with the afternoon prayer as a combined prayer?

Answer:
It is not permissible for you to combine the prayers. Rather, it is obligatory for you to pray the midday prayer in its time, and you do not have the right to delay it until the afternoon prayer. Studies are not an excuse for this. Rather, it is obligatory for you to pray the midday prayer in its time, and it is prescribed for you to perform the Sunnah, which is four rak'ahs before the midday prayer and two after it, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to do. He would pray four rak'ahs before the midday prayer and two after it. This is a voluntary prayer, and the important thing is the obligatory prayer.
What is obligatory for you is to pray the obligatory prayer in its time, which is four rak'ahs for the resident and two rak'ahs for the traveler, as is well known. You do not have the right to delay it until the afternoon prayer while you are a resident.
As for the traveler, there is no harm in his delaying it, and the same applies to the sick person. As for citing studies as an excuse, that is not acceptable. Yes.

The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.